Sunday 1 March 2009
Canterbury 7 - Medway Cougars 19
Tries: Hardinges, Wellard, Reynolds
Con: Stone, Gowdy
The Cougars travelled down the A2 to take on a traditionally strong Canterbury side. Both sides were missing players due to injuries and county selection. However, they still managed to put out two squads in the mid twenties on this fine late winter morning.
Medway, captained by Jack Johnston, kicked off attacking up the hill giving the advantage in the first half to Canterbury. Early exchanges were fierce as both sides tried to settle into some sort of rhythm. Two early penalties against Canterbury saw Medway up into the attacking 22 but ill discipline and back chat over a quickly taken tap saw the penalty overturned and Canterbury able to clear deep. The Cougars collected the ball and charged back up the pitch with the forwards, Liam Fitzpatrick, Max Fenton and Jake Christodoulou in particular, driving the team on. Great use of the rolling maul took Medway into the Canterbury ten metres.The ball emerged and Nick Hardinges made the dash to the line to go over for the first try of the game, converted well by Dan Stone. From the restart Medway had a quick chance to increase their lead when they won a scrum against the head. The backs, displaying good hands, ran a fantastic line putting Conor Chalmers away down the wing. However a great covering tackle took Chalmers down and the ball was knocked on giving possession back to Canterbury. That was to be the last attacking intent that the Cougars were to show during the first half as Canterbury made their advantage count and started to pin Medway back with wave after wave of attacks. The Canterbury backs were in the ascendancy now and the crowd sensed that the run up to half-time could be crucial to the final outcome. The Cougars defended valiantly digging deep. Fitzpatrick was having a colossal game disrupting the Canterbury forwards and picking up and driving forward when he could and it was he who led the forwards to repel Canterbury. When Canterbury did break through they found Hardinges in inspired form at full back making at least two brilliant covering tackles as the Canterbury centres threatened the Medway line. However, two missed tackles ultimately led to the Canterbury inside centre going over for a converted try and the last meaningful action of the half, the score 7-7.
The second half was started by Canterbury with Medway now having the advantage of attacking down the hill. The fluidity of the first half was lost by both sides as the early exchanges were very scrappy. However, that was to change with a Tom Brown tap penalty seeing him charge 60 metres up the pitch to take the Cougars deep into the Canterbury 22. The resulting scrum saw Fitzpatrick pick up and drive forward. As he was tackled Brown looped round to take the ball on and drive the team forward again. He was tackled 5 metres short of the line but was able to off load to Ben Wellard who charged through for another try, this time well converted by Luke Gowdy. From the restart Hardinges ran out of his own 22 feeding Sam Nicholls who sprinted wide up the wing eventually being hauled down on the Canterbury 10 metre line. Next a Charlie Wardzynski run, again down the wing, nearly put Medway over but great defending held the Cougars up short again. Lewis Bailey was next involved taking the ball on and gaining valuable ground before letting go a slick pass to the backs who worked the ball to Gowdy but he too was held up short - surely Medway would score again. A Tom Whitnell charge down as Canterbury tried to clear their lines kept the pressure on. Medway took the scrum but as Adam Shears tried to break through he was penalised for holding on as he went to ground. However, the pressure told and from a tap penalty move taken when other teams might have kicked for goal, a superb driving maul led by Fitzpatrick and Gowdy allowed the ball to be taken on before being worked to Connor Reynolds who broke through for an unconverted try. There was still time for the backs to prove their quality in defence as Canterbury rallied. First James Clarke superbly took a high ball forward out of the air before Gowdy and Shears disrupted the final Canterbury attack as the referee blew the final whistle.
Head Coach Mark Marriott had few words other than to state that the foundations for this fantastic 19-7 victory came from the brilliant defence displayed by Medway during a twenty minute spell in the first half when the Cougars were really under the cosh. All Cougars proved themselves heroes today - well done lads.
(Match Report by Pat Nolan)
